K and R
by bayviewms
Summary: Rouge kidnaps Knuckles for Dr. Robotnik, but ends up falling for the red echidna/ After the Master Emerald gets shattered (again) Rouge and Knuckles go on a quest to find the shards, but what will they discover about each other? And themselves? Cover drawn by mckee11223. Inspired by Six of Crows and Legend.
1. Chapter 1

**Whoa! Whoa. Before you read, I just want to notify you: Adventure portion of this fanfic starts chapter 5. So, if you're not one for hurt/comfort or angst, steer clear of the earlier chapters.**

 **This disclaimer was here so I don't have to rate this fanfic T, because it's still mainly K+, just the beginning's sort of intense.**

 **BTW, don't own any characters. (Even though that won't hold up against a lawsuit)**

He woke up in a cave.

His fur was wet and matted, from blood or sweat he couldn't tell. He tried to move his limbs, but they were shackled. The chains clanked against each other as he tried to move.

He smirked.

 _No chains can hold me,_ he thought, and with one swift move, he brought his arm upward.

The metal cut into his skin, drawing blood.

He hissed. _How is that possible?_ He tried again, straining as hard as he can against his bonds. He increased the force, fully expecting for the links to snap, or the chains to come ripping out of the ground. No luck.

He stopped, panting. He swallowed the dark, metallic taste rising in his mouth. He tried to stand up, but the chains weren't long enough, and he fell back down, kneeling in exhaustion. _Impossible._

A brief flutter of light fell on him from above, and he raised his head. There was a small hole far above him in the ceiling, and in it, a silhouette of a bat.

" _You,"_ He snarled, struggling to get a better look. The bat jumped down and landed with a soft thud, her boots tapping quietly against the frozen earth.

"Yes, me," She cooed, batting her lashes. "Happy to see me, Knuckles?"

With a growl, he lunged forward again, only to be held back by the chains. He didn't bargain for his safety, nor ask about his friends. He had just one question.

" _Where is the Emerald?"_ He roared, leaning forward as far as he can, baring his teeth. Her white fur shone in the moonlight, and her large ears twitched.

"Oh, this silly little thing?" She drawled seductively. She pulled back a curtain that he didn't see before, and behind it stood the Master Emerald. Its rich, vibrant green shone through the cave, and he could finally get a good look at his captor. _Rouge._

He looked around. There was a small pot carved into one wall, as well as several shelves of boxes. A small furnace stood in one corner, and a pile of bushes and leaves inhabited another. Flashes of light shone from everywhere, from the half-closed boxes to the pile of brush to the walls. The roof above was littered with stalactites, filled with semi-precious gems. _A place only a treasure-hunting bat could love._

He looked back to the Emerald, and realized with horror that there were two holes puncturing the beautiful gem, and from them, snaked two links of chain. The Emerald's energy flowed through the metal…

…To his own chains.

She used the Emerald's power to trap him.

 **She settled down on top of the furnace and watched him curiously. He sat down, hard, feeling defeated, and turned away from her. Mentally, she hissed. The ground was permanently frozen, and sure as sure, he didn't come from a particularly cold climate.**

"You'll freeze if you stay like that," Her voice drifted from behind him. He showed no reaction. He didn't need to be told. He felt the cold tendrils of cold snaking through his body. His thin echidna fur wasn't made for this temperature. Involuntarily, he shivered, but quickly covered it up as anger.

"Didn't know you had a home," He rumbled, a taunt in his voice.

"Everyone needs a place to store their treasure," She said nonchalantly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He resisted the urge to look backwards, didn't want her to see how miserable he was.

Instead, he turned to face the Emerald. It filled him with a sense of security, knowing that it was here and not out there, wreaking havoc on the world. Rouge got up and flapped over to the Emerald, leaning on it, her legs crossed. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Blinding fury turned his vision red, and with a yell, he punched the ground. He expected an earthquake, or an avalanche, _something,_ but nothing happened. He looked in dismay at his hands, then ran them over the two holes in the ground from his knuckle barbs.

"Permafrost. Nice thing to counter against an angry echidna," She remarked, striding forward just so he couldn't touch her, but close enough to glare into her eyes.

She didn't seem fazed. "This whole place is Knuckles-proof," She sighed, "there's no point in trying to break out."

She tapped a claw gently on a chain, and he lunged for it, only for the chains to hold him back.

 ** _This is going to be fun._**

"Why am I here, Rouge?" He spat. "Robotnik doesn't think so highly of me, does he?"

She shrugged. "Who knows? He wants you here so you won't take the Emerald back, and as bait."

"Bait?" He echoed uncertainly.

"Sonic will come looking for you."

He let out a bitter laugh. "I live on a _floating island._ It's not like Sonic comes visiting. Even if he did, it's not like he cares what happens to me." He glared at her just a second longer, and turned away.

At this, all the fight went out of him, and he retreated as far as he can in the other direction.

He could feel her stand there, watching him with those cold, calculating eyes of hers.

It was a long while before she rose into the sky, drew back the curtain and blocked off the skylight with the whispery rasp of rock against rock.

He was left alone in the dark and cold.

He shivered again, and this time, he couldn't stop.


	2. Chapter 2

**When she came back again, he was curled up in a ball, shivering uncontrollably. His teeth were gritted, his skin was tinged blue, and his fists were tightly clenched. His knuckled barbs dug deep into his fur, and at his wrists and ankles, blood welled from chafes and rips.**

 **She winced, and then hid her sympathy again, since she couldn't tell if he was still awake. She strode over to him and briefly considered the thought of pushing him over, but dismissed it. Walking over to the furnace, she shoved some sticks and leaves in it and struck a dangling piece of flint with a claw. The fire immediately lit, casting a flickering orange light across the floor. The warmth buffeted her, and she heard Knuckles move. She looked back, and found that he relaxed a slight bit. Just a bit.**

 ** _I knew he wasn't used to the cold,_** **she scoffed, and silently stalked towards a shelf. After rummaging around a while, she found an old blanket buried at the bottom of one, and pulled it out. A diamond necklace clattered to the ground with a** ** _ping!_** **And she scooped it up with a hurry and placed it back in the box.**

 **She walked over to where Knuckles sat, still tense, and nearly sighed out loud.** ** _I wonder what he looks like sleeping normally._**

 **She dropped the blanket down, and it fluttered down to him. The second it fell on him, he lashed out with a fist.**

It's instinctive, the way he wakes up ready to fight. Made for a lot of startled leaves and squirrels back on Angel Island, but it doesn't hurt to be ready. Like now.

His fist stopped mere inches away from her face, held by the chains. She had put up her hands in defense, but now relaxed and put her hands at her hips. He looked at the blanket and scowled.

"I don't need it," He growled, and threw it back at her. She caught it easily in one hand and resumed her stance.

"Look," She said bluntly, "I'm used to the temperature. You're used to your floating prison in paradise. So I recommend you either use this, or get hypothermia."

"My island is not a prison."

"Hmm," She said absently, rubbing at her claws. "Seems like it to me. There's no one else there, you won't leave due to some ridiculous promise, and you _can't_ leave, even if you wanted to."

He crossed his arms, both for warmth and emphasis. _There is a way to get off, but I'm not sharing an ancient echidna secrets._

She sighed dramatically and tossed him the blanket again. He responded by whipping it back at her, although it only went a sad distance.

"I told you, I don't need it!" He shouted.

She whirled around and stood as tall as she can, towering above the crouching echidna. "And I told you that you do! Eggman will kill me if I let you die, so just swallow your stubborn pride and accept the one act of kindness I will ever do for you!"

Her voice echoed off the caves for a long while before she turned around and flapped furiously to the top of the cave, her wings beating violently. She disappeared behind one of the stalactites into the darkness.

 ** _That ungrateful, useless echidna. If Eggman wasn't paying me, I would've bailed hours ago!_**

 **She huffed and shoved the memory into a mental box. It's not going to bother her during her sleep.**

 **Rouge loved her boots. They had little serrated spikes on the bottom, perfect for ripping through clothing when kicking and even more perfect for dangling off the roofs of caves. She settled herself down, hanging upside-down and wrapped her wings around her body. They were nice and warm, and she soon closed her eyes and fell asleep.**

He couldn't see her anymore. He kept glancing upwards, as if expecting her to come swooping down and attack him, but it sounded like she fell asleep.

 _Maybe I should take it,_ he thought, gazing at the blanket a short distance away from him.

He ground his teeth angrily, angry that he himself had even considered it.

 _Where is your pride? Your decency? How could you ever accept a gift from that_ bat? Another part of his brain yelled. He winced at the thought, and was paralyzed with indecision.

 _Sure, it's just a blanket,_ he reasoned, _but if I take it, it tells her I'm weak and needs her help._

 _On the other hand, she was just being nice, and I'm cold._

He grabbed the blanket, ready to shred that bat to bits if she even so much as mentions it.

 _Sonic better not hear about this._


	3. Chapter 3

He awoke to a stalagmite falling from the ceiling.

With a sudden yell, he flipped over, narrowly missing the huge, piercing rock. He'd maneuvered the chains so the rock would fall on them, but after it crashed down and splintered ( _way too similar to the Master Emerald)_ , he found to his dismay that the chain was still intact, the emerald busy at work swirling its mystic energy around and fixing it. _Why isn't the emerald helping me?_ He whined inwardly while Rouge finally got the gist of what was happening. She dodged acrobatically through the air, flipping gracefully past one and kicking another one to smithereens before it even touched the ground. Her powerful wings only had to bend and the air would heed her command.

He caught himself watching her before turning away and pretending to be busy guarding the emerald. It glowed brightly at the onslaught, and it seemed to him that the rock shards _reflected_ away from it, as if it had erected a force-field around itself. _That, or a mystical, all-powerful gem is just naturally lucky._

He looked up suddenly as a shaft of light fell on him. He squinted, having been used to the cave's dim light, but Rouge, who has settled down beside him with a flap of her wings, was completely unperturbed.

"ROUGE! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Eggman screamed, descending on his Egg-whatever-you-call-it-Mobile. Rouge muttered something under her breath like, "So he _can_ fit in the entrance," and raised her face up in a huge, _fake,_ warm smile.

" _Eggman_ ," She said, resuming her seductive voice. Knuckles was taken back. She hadn't used that voice since the first day he'd woken; somehow, he'd gotten used to her real voice. " _I'm just doing what you told me. Wasn't it to keep Knuckles and the Master Emerald contained and away from Angel Island?"_ She batted her eyelashes innocently.

"IN MY FORTRESS!" He shouted, his egg-mobile thing dropping to the floor with nowhere as much grace as Rouge. _Focus, Knuckles,_ he chided, while outwardly his fur bristled from the mention of his beloved island.

" – YOU AND THAT BLASTED EMERALD!" Knuckles blinked. He'd zoned out in the middle of Eggman's speech. The self-proclaimed doctor's face was now the color of his oversized coat, and he was positively frothing at the mouth. _I feel bad for those buttons,_ he thought.

"I can do what I want!" Rouge shouted back, losing all pretense of politeness. "I do this on my terms, or I fly."

If it were possible, he would've sworn the doctor's face grew even redder. He angrily pounded at a few buttons on his electronic armband, and a bolt of electricity shot out from his fingertips and went straight for Rouge.

In the next second, four things happened.

Rouge screamed and turned to fly away.

Knuckles dashed forwards, lashing his arm out, just off target.

The chain curved in and caught the bolt of electricity.

It swerved and rebounded, short-circuiting Eggman's armband.

By the time the man realized what had happened, Knuckles was already beside Rouge, the two of them standing side by side, ready for combat.

Eggman waved his arm around frantically, as if that will reboot his fancy piece of technology. He turned on the odd pair and narrowed his eyes maniacally. He suddenly dove into his Egg-mobile and took off, lobbing a strange, disk-shaped object just before he cleared the skylight and zipped out of sight.

Knuckles panted hard. That was hardly a workout; it was just emotionally taxing. The fat man had gotten too close to the Emerald for comfort.

 _And Rouge,_ a small part of his brain whispered, but he waved it away.

Finally, they both realized they were standing too close to each other, and leapt back. Rouge cleared her throat uncomfortably, and Knuckles rubbed the back of his neck. The chains clanked against each other, and he was suddenly glad they were there. Otherwise, Rouge might not be standing here right now.

"So what? Are you going to act all unthankful for my rescue again?" He finally asked, breaking the mounting tension.

She laughed awkwardly and rubbed her ear. "I didn't need the help," She retorted lamely, and Knuckles chuckled.

"So… What did Eggman mean? About the fortress?"

She sighed. "Well," She began hesitantly, "remember when I said Eggman doesn't want you to die?" Knuckles nodded strangely. "I lied. He wanted to kill you and carve the Master Emerald into 'workable' pieces for a new line of robots."

He hissed and tightened his fists around the chain. The Emerald's energy rose up to greet him, but he refused the feeling of comfort.

"So you're telling me… That you saved my life."

"In a nutshell, yes."

Silence.

"At least we're even now."

"Yeah…" Her voice trailed off. He looked curiously at her. She turned around with her head low, and when she spoke again, her voice was full of emotion.

"It's just, we're always even. In everything. And –"

At that exact moment, the strange metal disk Eggman threw exploded.

The world erupted in fire and chaos, and it was all Knuckles could do to stand upright. He gritted his teeth, and somewhere, he heard a scream. It might have been his.

It seemed like eternity before the fire died down. Only when the flickering red past his eyelids disappeared did he open his eyes, and was surprised to find him clinging desperately to Rouge, the bat doing the same. The Emerald had erected a force-field around them, encasing them in a faintly green shield.

Slowly, Rouge's eyes opened too, and he detangled himself from her. She straightened out her wings and flapped them for a few times to see if they were alright, and surveyed the scene, ignoring the echidna.

The disk left a huge swath of burnt-out dirt, and an entire side of the cave had been obliterated. There was a huge crevice in the wall, exposing ancient tree roots, and the pile of wood was reduced to currently-burning charcoal. Everything on their side of the cave, though, was shielded by the Emerald. Except for a faint tingling sensation, everything was fine.

Her eyes were cold, calculating, slipping back into her spy persona as fluid as poison through veins. She didn't turn the eyes on him though, but he could just tell she blamed everything on him.

 _If she hadn't saved me, then her home wouldn't be destroyed, and she'd still be on good terms with Eggman. Why wouldn't she blame this on me?_

He was still wallowing in shame and guilt when she took to the air, soaring off into the air without a single sound.


	4. Chapter 4

She didn't come back for two days. He'd exhausted her food supplies, seeing (to his relief) that she's a fruit bat, not a vampire bat or a carnivorous bat or… There are a lot of dangerous bat types, aren't there?

Mainly, he's taken to digging out the chains. It took a long time just to break the ground, and longer still to dig out a sizable portion of dirt. By the time he was exhausted, he's barely even scratched the permafrost, and he felt permanently frozen.

The only upside is the Emerald. It stands, unwavering in its strength, never fading, never losing light. When he finally had enough slack to move, he crawled over to the emerald and promptly fell asleep, leaning against it the same way he did on Angel Island. It wasn't far from the truth; as much as it pains him to admit it, here was almost _exactly_ the same as the island.

His dreams were cold and dark. Instead of the scenes of horror and destruction he dreamt about on the island, he dreamed about Rouge. And that's what horrifies him most. He couldn't help but notice her grace, her strength; everything about her was on par with him.

 _What had she been about to say?_ He pondered, over and over.

 _"It's just, we're always even. In everything. And –"_

 _Always even? In everything? What could she possibly have been talking about?_

He was distracted by a distant clap of thunder. Dimly, he wondered if Tails heard it, whether he was already hiding out under a bed or in a closet. The kid wasn't afraid of battling entire armies, yet he was scared of a little lightning.

He couldn't blame him. _After all, everyone has something they're afraid of._

He just didn't know what his was.

 **She perched, just outside the cave, getting drenched. She clutched something in both fists; one a flower, one a key.**

 **The key that would unlock Knuckles.**

 **She debated it extensively over the last couple days. Should she let him go?**

 ** _If he leaves, Eggman will just try to take the emerald again, and he could get hurt his time without me around. He's better protected here; Eggman can't separate him from the emerald, or vice versa._**

 ** _Besides… I'd miss him._**

 **The last thought didn't even surprise her anymore. She'd mulled it over and over on her long, lonely flights, and realized that she'd gotten used to his companionship.**

 ** _I'll think about it later,_** **she muttered angrily to herself, and threw herself down the hole.**

He'd just nodded off again when Rouge burst in through the opening and drew a rock against the opening. She shook off droplets of water from her fur and swooped low in a wide arc, careful to deposit a newly-acquired backpack in a _safe_ location.

Still shaking off water, she glided to the opposite end of the emerald and sat down, breathing a sigh of relief, clutching something close to her chest.

There was silence for a bit, and then Knuckles got up and went through the backpack. He was disturbed to find bits and pieces of mismatched explosives in it, some still counting down rapidly, little red numbers flickering at the speed of light.

"Rouge… What did you do?" He questioned cautiously, slowly turning around. She hasn't moved from her position, though he couldn't see much to begin with.

"Let's just say Eggman's missing a few robots. And missiles. And bases," She answered nonchalantly after a brief, tense pause. Knuckles let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, and hastily kicked the backpack – and its contents – into the corner.

"It's just –" She suddenly started again, causing his fur to stand up on end, "do you ever get the feeling that you don't really have _friends;_ that they're just _using_ you?"

He found himself nodding before his brain could even register what she said, and slumped against the emerald, his arm resting on his knee.

She continued, "That no matter what you, no one will care, or even notice?"

"Where's this coming from?" He probed, straining to try to see around the large gem. She suddenly shifted, and his breath caught in his throat. In her hand was a crystal rose – the kind that only grew on Angel Island.

She handed it to him, and he gazed in wonder at the small flower. Its petals were still perfect, the roots still attached, and, feeling the energy of the emerald, it turned its bulb towards it, opening all the more brilliantly.

"I found your island beached not a mile from Cream's house."

He looked up suddenly. Every other time the emerald was taken, the island crashed into the ocean. She saw his expression, and amended, "The Master Emerald's power was stronger this time, like the island held on to it. I guess it kept it aloft for just a while longer.

"Anyways, I spent the rest of that day spying on Cream. Tails was visiting, and it was so infuriating to watch him and Vanilla chatting, completely unaware that their friend was _kidnapped,_ the emerald gone, and Angel Island crashed. They were completely oblivious! You've been gone for _weeks,_ and no one even bothered to visit! It's like they don't _care_ if the emerald falls into Eggman's hands. Do they expect you to just _be_ there?"

"Yes," He said quietly, still mesmerized by the flower. She had an agenda; she should hate him, and yet, she took the time to bring him this little piece of beauty from his home.

"Thank you," He whispered in wonder, and stood up. Her eyes followed him curiously as he parted the soft, warm earth beside the emerald, just a little bit, and placed the flower delicately in the hole. He worked in stoic determination, and patted the earth gently, covering up the flower's roots. He straightened, satisfied with his work. If it were possible, the already radiant flower shone _even_ more, its petals reflecting the emerald's light, flashing and shimmering in all the colors of the rainbow.

"It's the least I can do…" Her voice trailed off, and he realized that she probably felt guilty for keeping him here.

It's funny. They both hurt each other so much, and yet, they've gone from amusement and hatred for each other to something close to admiration in days.

 _I guess it's true. We really are even in everything._


	5. Chapter 5

**She was just out flying when she crashed into the robot. It didn't look like any Mobian or monster she had ever seen. The color of blood, its metal hide was stretched grotesquely, and its dark, beady eyes bore into her. It had fiercely sharp claws and razor-sharp quills–**

 **It looked like a hedgehog.**

 **But not like Metal Sonic. This – This** ** _thing_** **looked like something out of a child's nightmares.** ** _Eggman couldn't have made this._**

 **But that telltale logo beneath its quills drove the last bits of doubt from her mind.**

 **The robot whirled around with a metallic creak almost instantly. Its eyes focused on her, zeroing in on its target. A grappling hook shot forth from its hand, and she only barely dodged it. She aimed a kick at its neck, but with speed rivalling Sonic's, it dodged out of the way and sank a claw into her shoulder. She cried out in pain and tried to kick it again, but it was too fast.**

 **She hated running away, but with her shoulder bleeding and throbbing, she couldn't stay.**

 **She turned tail, and dove straight for the ground.**

Rouge almost flattened Knuckles when she dove in through the opening. She crashed against a stalagmite and fell the rest of the way, landing with a sickening thud against the ground. Knuckles immediately rushed over, turning her onto her side. He hissed when he saw the deep puncture wound, looked around frantically for a bandage.

In a sudden bout of inspiration, he picked her up gently and set her down near the Master Emerald. The emerald glowed brighter, and the crystal rose dipped its head towards the light. He smiled despite the situation.

With the emerald's energy flowing through her, the wound knitted itself together and staunched the flow of blood. He breathed a sigh of relief as she stirred, her face relaxing. She woke after a tense few minutes, where at one point, she stopped breathing. She sat up abruptly and knocked her forehead into Knuckles'. He opened his mouth to say something, but she stopped him with a finger to her lips.

Her first words: "You have to leave."

He was dumbfounded. He made some sort of half-coherent sound, like "wha – ?" But she silenced him again. She dug through her pocket and pulled out a gleaming gold key. It barely registered in his mind before she thrust it into the lock in his shackles, and with one fluid movement, the cuffs fell to the floor with a dull clank. He stood frozen in place, completely confused.

"There's a robot of Eggman's coming, and you need to get the emerald out of the way," She continued, whispering harshly. She kept dusting off her phantom wound, all the while paranoid and eyes darting around the cave entrance.

His mind was still whirling when she shoved him against a wall. "Climb," she instructed.

He looked over at the emerald, but she shoved him again, and he caught a glimpse of something foreign and _wrong_ beyond the entrance. He whirled back and caught her wrist. "What is this?" He demanded.

For once, her confidence façade faded away, and she saw a true glimpse of her fear in her aquamarine eyes. "That – That thing. It's not natural, but it's Eggman's, and it's coming for the emerald. You have to keep it safe," she repeated resolutely.

He glanced up again and then at Rouge. "Guess it's time for you to owe me one again," and sped up the wall. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what he was about to do, and reached out a hand to stop him, but was too late.

 ** _Well, if I can't stop him, join him,_ she thought haughtily, and flew up beside him. She gave him a single nod, and they burst through the entrance together. **

If anything, the robot looked _determined._ Eggman's robots are usually dumb or defective, but this one looked like his best yet. Its eyes held some sort of artificial intelligence, sweeping over the landscape as if analyzing it. Those eyes locked on to him and Rouge, and he could just see the gears whirling in its head, computing the best way to take them down.

Unexpectedly, it dashed at them, a blood-red blur against the rocky terrain. It was only from his many fights with Sonic that Knuckles managed to dodge out of the way, while Rouge wasn't so lucky. She was barreled over, but she regained her composure almost immediately and struck out at the robot. Her heel echoed off its metal chest with a dull _clank,_ and she only made it angrier. It launched a barrage of missiles at them that sent the two scrambling to find shelter.

"Rouge! Cut him off from the right!" He shouted, darting away quick to avoid the missile. It destroyed the rock he was hiding behind, shattering it to bits.

Rouge tore across the plain, her wings folded securely across her back. Just before she reached the robot, she leapt into the air and delivered a spinning kick to its head. It tilted right back and it lashed out, catching her in the stomach and propelling her across the clearing. She stood up and shook her head, catching her breath.

 _My turn,_ he thought, as he jumped up onto a boulder, and with a backflip, smashed it. Tremors shook the ground, and, picking up one of the large pieces, he hurled it at the robot. Instead of dodging, it waited for the impact.

And caught it.

He launched it back at Knuckles, and he dodged out of the way, but it clipped him in the leg. He tumbled out of control and landed on his back, stunned.

The robot rolled into a ball and shot out glistening spines from its back. One of them embedded itself on the rock beside him, and the rock faded and crumbled away.

He saw Rouge get up for another attack, but the world was spinning, and he needed to get underground.

He tunneled into the ground, gauging the distance between him and that menace. He erupted from the ground suddenly, missed his target, and knocked Rouge over. It shot a beam at them, and they rolled apart as it sprayed dirt into the air. He shielded his eyes.

Rouge got up on one knee. "We… We can't beat that thing," She panted, flapping her wings to test for broken bones. She looked over to Knuckles. "Any bright ideas?"

"Bright…" He murmured, looking sadly at the Master Emerald. He closed his eyes. "I know what I must do. Forgive me, Tikal."

And with a dislocated yell, he shattered the Master Emerald.

The pieces erupted in blinding light, and they both covered their eyes. The shards shot off in various directions, like shooting stars, missing the duo entirely. The robot wasn't so lucky, and a shard impaled it in the chest. It shuddered violently, the emerald's power coursing through it, thoroughly frying its wiring. Its outer husk began to melt away, leaving behind a grotesque impression of its former shape.

Knuckles still refused to look even when the light vanished.

He heard Rouge get up to inspect the robot, the faint shift of her wings down, confirming its death. She let out a sigh of relief, and plucked the shard from its chest.

"It's over, Knuckles. You can look now."

Slowly, he opened his eyes. There was a darkened patch in the stone where the emerald had shattered, and Rouge held one of the pieces. It glowed faintly, no longer radiating energy. He turned his gaze away painfully.

She glided over to him. "We couldn't have defeated that monster any other way. You did the right thing."

"Yes, but I just broke the Master Emerald. AGAIN!" He snapped, snatching the shard from her. "I'll fix it myself."

"And what if I find the pieces before you?" She asked seductively, her voice falling back to being rich and smooth, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Don't make everything a competition," He begged. "I don't want to have to save you from another pit of lava."

"I could've helped myself!" She cried indignantly. "You didn't give me enough time to glide!"

"To what? The non-existent platform floating above the lava?"

She shook her finger Sonic style and took to the air with a smirk. He tapped his foot impatiently, holding out a hand.

She dropped back down and plopped another emerald shard in his palm. "You're no fun," She pouted, and flew off again.

He looked down at the two emerald shards in his hand and sighed. This was going to be a long trip.

 **Okay. Beta's being annoying. I'll just re-update when she sends it over. Anyways, don't flame or anything about the attack; not my strong suit, and the Master Emerald shatters too easily, so who can blame me for spicing it up?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright! Voting time! If you want me to add Sonic or Tails' POV into this story, comment in the reviews! Otherwise, I'll just assume you come here for Knuckles and Rouge.**

It was probably when they first emerged from the mountain that Knuckles realized exactly why Rouge chose to live here.

They were in a mountain range. Canyons and gorges and snowy peaks rose and dipped along the horizon, sunlight streaming across the landscape like silky ribbons, faint smoke curling like protective dragons around the outcroppings.

 **Rouge noticed Knuckles watching and smirked. Silently, she glided behind him, but before she could say anything, he said, "I know you're there."**

 ** _Rats,_** **she cursed, and hopped down to the ground. Her shoulder suddenly flared with pain, and she was distracted for a moment. When she came to, he was looking at her strangely. Self-consciously, she turned so he couldn't see her shoulder, and motioned to the distance with her other arm.**

 **"Where to, fellow traveler?" She mocked in a formal voice, sliding her gaze over to him. He fidgeted, and looked around at anything but her. His eyes seemed to land on the spot in the distance that Angel Island was beached.**

 **"I supposed we could find the Master Emerald shards first, and worry about Eggman later," He reasoned, pondering various paths.**

 **"Then we should go where there's no bases," she added.**

 **"Exactly which bases did you leave** ** _functional?_** **" He accused good-naturedly. She rolled her eyes and mentally ran through a checklist.**

 **"One. In Mystic Ruins."**

 **Knuckles groaned. "Out of all the places in the world…" He shrugged on her spare backpack – secure with the first two shards – and jumped off the precipice.**

 ** _Way to make a dramatic exit,_** **she thought, and glided after him. That was the only way to get around the mountains – by gliding and flying. One of few reasons this is a bat's paradise.**

 **They landed in a deep ravine and began the climb up. He just dug into the rock with those gloves of his, hooking the barbs into the stone.**

 **"Watch this!" She called out, and started walking up the stone face.** ** _Sure, I can fly,_** **she thought haughtily; glancing back at the awestruck echidna,** ** _but this is much more entertaining._** **Those spikes on the bottom of her boots worked the same way as his barbs; digging into the stone and staying there.**

 **She saw him speeding up, and of course, she began sprinting up at full speed, grinning confidently. They both reached the top at the same time, dragging themselves over the lip. She was panting hard, and her shoulder throbbed to the beat of her heart. She took a deep breath, and her heart rate slowed down, but the pain didn't.**

 **"Didn't I ask you not to make everything a competition?" Knuckles complained, barely even tired. She noticed her wincing, but didn't say anything.**

 **After a while, it dulled, and they kept up the rigorous routine of glide, climb, and repeat. They finally reached the edge of the mountain range, and beyond that was just frozen tundra for miles until they reached their first destination, Lethal Highway, one of Shadow's familiar haunts. Even Eggman wasn't brave enough to erect a base there.**

 **As they were walking across the seemingly endless plain, Knuckles suddenly piped up, making Rouge jump. She still wasn't used to traveling with a companion. "Hey, Rouge, why didn't you just steal the emerald and hand me over to Eggman?"**

 **She'd thought about it. She couldn't deny it was in her mind, hovering at the edges of her thoughts, never too far away.**

 **She ended up shrugging, even if it made her shoulder burn like fire. "It was at home. I didn't really need to steal it to look at it."**

 **He nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer, and they continued in silence.**

 **/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

 **Lethal Highway looked nothing like Shadow described it. He said it was part of a ruined city, filled to the brim with smog, giving you the feeling that dread and fear were being crammed down your throat.**

 **Obviously nature had other plans. Somewhat like Mystic Ruins, plants have dominated his city, albeit differently. Young coniferous trees and a thin layer of moss and shrubs spread across the ground, covering what used to be stone and cement.**

 **Knuckles whistled in impressment as they walked past a tree that had somehow broken through the wall of a building. "Nature will overpower us all someday," He remarked, probably thinking of Angel Island again.**

 **Ignoring him, she decided, "We should split up. We'll cover more ground."**

 **He nodded, and began running off, but turned back. Almost reluctantly, he withdrew an emerald shard from his pack and handed it to her. "So I can track you," He explained, and dashed off.**

 **Still, a gift is a gift, and she stuck it in her pocket before flying off to survey the roofs. There was an astonishing amount of buildings around what was supposed to be a highway. Before long though, she saw a glimmer come from inside a building, and landed on the balcony. With a flying kick, the steel door flew off its hinges, landing with a loud clattering sound inside.**

 **A movement came from within, and she found herself hiding behind a crumbling window ledge. Three stories up, hidden from view behind rusted steel beams, she took the time to look around. It's early evening, but it's already pitch-black around her, and the moonlight's reflection was visible in the street's puddles. This used to be an apartment complex, but it's fallen into disrepair. Broken lanterns and glass shards litter the floor of this room, and paint is peeling from every wall. In one corner, an old portrait of some long ago inhabitant lies face up on the ground.** ** _I wonder who used to live here._**

 **Finally, after hearing no more sounds, she ventured in, seeing that it was only a light swinging back and forth. She stabilized it and plucked the emerald shard away from the glass shards around it, cradling it lovingly. It gave off a warm green light, bathing her fur in its glow.**

 **She just tucked it away with the other shard when Knuckles burst in through the gaping doorway, gliding from a higher floor. He held up the other two shards, and she showed him hers. He put them all in his backpack, but let her keep the first one.**

 **He glanced outside at the dark night. "We should stay here for the night."**

 **She nodded and immediately made herself comfortable, clinging to the roof and wrapping her wings around herself. He chuckled. "I didn't know bats** ** _actually_** **slept upside-down!"**

 **She opened one eye. "Well, I do." And that was that.**

 **She heard him make his own bed, but she was too tired to care. Exhaustion and anticipation drove her eyes closed, and she fell asleep.**

 **Okay! Recap for voting time: If you want Sonic or Tails' POV (point of view) in this story, comment below!**

 **As well, for that 7th last paragraph, the monster huge one that described the building, if you can guess which book it was based almost word for word on, you'll get a special recognition! Come on! This contest won't end, no matter when I update. Just comment with the title and/or author of the book. (P.S. This is also to avoid plagiarism, since I'll be openly acknowledging this AWESOME writer next time!)**


	7. Chapter 7

_"Cream, don't look now," The young fox instructed, backing Cream up the rise. The little bunny whined and tried to advance, but Tails held her back further._

 _"But Tails! The prettiest flowers are there!" She complained, trying to sneak a look over the hill, but he blocked her sight with his namesakes. She pouted and looked pointedly away from him, skipping along a cobblestone path._

 _Tails sighed, and then made his way over the hill. Nope. He wasn't hallucinating. That was Angel Island._

 _It looked like it scraped against the ground for quite a while before landing due to the length of the skid marks. He could barely see the top; the mist was obscuring what would've been low enough to see._

 _'But if Angel Island crashed…' Tails didn't want to think about what it might mean. He tapped frantically on his intercom, whispering so Cream doesn't hear._

 _"Sonic. Sonic, come in. Sonic, you hear me?"_

 _A burst of static startled him, and the device promptly smoked in his paws. He ripped it off his wrist and stomped on it, putting out the impending fire._

 _"Tails!" Cream laughed. "Come and play with me!"_

 _He sighed and looked forlornly away from the island. Tomorrow, he'll climb it, but today, he has a little rabbit to entertain._

 **The next morning Rouge was woken up by a rough shake. She nearly forgot she was in a small and cramped apartment and swooped down low over the ground like she usually does. Instead, she fell off the ceiling and bashed her head on the hard floor. Knuckles, who was awake and exercising, looked coldly at her.**

 **She groaned. This again.**

 **He raised his chin. "How do you call yourself a spy? You'll sleep until noon if I let you."**

 **"What does that have to do with anything?"**

 **"Disipline. Routine. Does it mean nothing to you? Chaos, I can't wait to go back to my island."**

 **"If you would just relax –"**

 **"I don't want to relax."**

 **"Why? What are you so afraid will happen? Afraid you might start to like me?"**

 **He said nothing.**

 **She smirked. "That's it, isn't it? You don't want to like me. You're scared that if you give up your petty grudge, you might start thinking I'm likable. Would that be so terrible?"**

 **"I do like you."**

 **"What was that?"**

 **"I do like you," he said angrily.**

 **She beamed, feeling a well of pleasure erupt thought her. "Now, really, is that so bad?"**

 **"Yes!" He roared.**

 **"Why?"**

 **"Because you're horrible. You're loud and foolish and brave and bold and – and –" His voice trailed off as he realized what he said.**

 **"Oh, I see. I'm the wicked bat seductress. I have beguiled you with my feminine wiles!"**

 **She poked him in the chest.**

 **"Stop that."**

 **"No. I'm beguiling you."**

 **"Quit it."**

 **She flitted around him, poking his stomach, his chest, his side. "Goodness! You're very strong! This is strenuous work!" He started to laugh. "It's working! The beguiling has begun. The mighty echidna clan has fallen. You are powerless to resist me. You –"**

 **Rouge's voice broke off in a scream as the floor gave way beneath her feet. She threw her arms out blindly, reaching for something, anything that might stop her fall, wings trapped and scraping over the wall.**

 **Knuckles grabbed her arm, and she cried out as the wound reopened, and her sleeve stained red.**

 **She hung there, suspended over a deadly drop, the grip of his fingers the only thing between her and certain death. For a moment, looking into his eyes, she was certain he was going to let go.**

 **The moment passed, and the uncertainty faded from his eyes. He dragged her up over the edge, and they glided over to a more stable building. They lay on their backs, panting.**

 **"I was afraid… I was afraid you were going to let me go," she managed between gasping breaths, clutching her shoulder in agony.**

 **There was a long pause and then he said, "I thought about it. Just for a second."**

 **"Hey, at least that wasn't lava?" She offered, and for some reason, they found that funny, and started laughing again.**

 **He got up and dusted himself off. "We should be –"**

 **A flash interrupted them, and Shadow stood in front of the pair, a red chaos emerald in his hand.**

 **"Now, what are you doing here?"**

 **Rouge rolled her eyes and slipped back into the jewel thief persona. "Certainly not to see you," She retorted, her voice like honey and venom at once.**

 **Shadow's gaze fell on the shard-shaped bulge in her pocket. His eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything. He shot a glance at Knuckles, and something passed between the two that she didn't understand, and he was gone again, stepping off the terrace and disappearing in a flash of red light.**

 ** _What is it with guys and dramatic exits?_** **She wondered exasperatedly, and looked suspiciously at Knuckles. He was glaring at the spot Shadow was with vehemence.**

 **"What is it with him and that hedgehog?" She murmured, hoping for Knuckles to hear. He did.**

 **"Look. I'll tell you tomorrow if you won't** ** _infuriate_** **me. Got it?"**

 **"Everything angers you."**

 **He sputtered indignantly and pretended to rummage around in his backpack. She caught a glimpse of something white and shiny. Could it be?**

 **She shook off the notion. Impossible. He wouldn't care enough to bring it if he could go back to a whole island of them.**

 **"We should go now," He said, still avoiding her gaze. She tilted her chin up vainly and smoothed back her wings. Finally, they left Lethal Highway, leaving behind the concrete jungle in favor of a real jungle. There needs to be an alternate reality jump, so they need to borrow a chaos emerald, and the closest one…**

 **Cream.**

 **Okay. 7** **th** **-last paragraph of the last chapter was based on an opening paragraph in Legend, by Marie Lu. This chapter was prominently based on Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo, with the conversation almost word for word from the book. (sorry, guys, I'm not THAT good of a writer.) More to be based on books!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks to all my reviewers and followers, though I would appreciate a favourite here and there, and special thanks to reviewer ultimateCCC, who has stayed with me and reviewed every chapter!**

 **BTW, not updating until I get at least 1 fav, or 2 more reviews. And you do not want me to discontinue, seeing as I already have 2 more chapters ready.**

It was mid-afternoon by the time they reached Cream's house. Rouge, however, refused to go any farther, and leaned stubbornly against a tree.

Knuckles didn't really notice. All his attention was devoted to the small cottage with a quant stone path and flower garden. He could just barely feel Angel Island, the tips of its highest peaks rising over the roof. The little pinprick of energy from within the house distracted him. The gray chaos emerald.

He felt slight dread as he got ready to knock on the door, all thanks to Rouge. What she said… It couldn't possibly be true. His friends didn't care so little…

Just as he rapped on the door, it flew open in his face, and Tails, laden with equipment and scanners, flew out, his twin appendages twirling furiously to keep him aloft. The kit's eyes widened in surprise and nearly collided with the echidna

"Uh – um - Knuckles! I – um – you're – ISLAND!" He stammered, gesticulating wildly. Calming himself down, he dropped his equipment down, and settled onto his feet. "What are you doing here?" He asked, considerably calmer.

"We – I'm looking for the Master Emerald shards, and I need the chaos emerald from Cream." He avoided mentioning Rouge, who was probably two feet away and they didn't even know. Tails wouldn't give her the emerald, and besides… He didn't need the teasing to start again. Not after the last time they searched for those emerald shards.

Tails nodded. "Sure." He disappeared, and Knuckles heard something crashing, and an excited squeal from a certain little bunny. He sighed. Cream will and can never lose her innocence.

The fox cam out shortly after, his fur sticking up in wild angles, the chaos emerald in his paw. He passed it to Knuckles and smoothed down his fur nonchalantly. Little crackles and parks jump out wherever he brushed.

"Cream got her hands on a balloon," he explained. "I'm going to check out Angel Island. What to come?"

He hesitated, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. So Tails did care. He wanted to see his home, but only when he had the Master Emerald. He couldn't help but feel guilty at letting himself – and the Master Emerald – get captured in the first place. He ended up shaking his head and walked away with the chaos emerald.

As he made his way through the forest to their rendezvous point, Rouge materialized beside him, dropping silently from the branches. She eyed the gen hungrily, and then cleared her throat. "You ready?"

He nodded. The portal appeared before them, and they stepped forward without another glance.

 _Tails already lost two gadgets by the time he realized the island's power was messing with them. He immediately ditched the rest of his gear, cradling his notebook lovingly before throwing it onto his workbench and blazing out the door again._

 _The island looked colorless. It was like the color just leached out along with the chaos energy, leaving behind a post–apocalyptic–like landscape. The leaves were so thin and pale you could see the fading skeleton, and the grass cracked under his feet. He decided to fly, unwilling to disturb the ground._

 _'So this is what happens if it doesn't fall in the ocean,' he reasoned, snapping mental pictures and storing them away for later. 'I wonder how the animals and plants survive after they drown…'_

 _After circling a few times, he went back to Cream's house and gathered his things. His visit was over, and Sonic needed to know about this._

 _"But Tails!" Cream pleaded with those big, watery eyes. "Stay here a little longer! Please?"_

 _He shook his head, smiling a sad smile. "Sorry, Cream, but I can't play right now. I need to help Knuckles."_

 _She understood, and he departed, lugging his gear and equipment to the Tornado._

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but it's just a transition, since next one's a doozy. Good luck! And may you fav once and review twice to get me to update!**


	9. Chapter 9

**No favs? D:**

They stepped out onto what appeared to be a beach. They could see a shack in the distance, with a volleyball net set up, and beyond that, a village.

"This should be the place," Knuckles said, consulting the radar, a gadget of Tails' that he insisted he didn't need, yet used anyways. "The Boom dimension. The emerald shards are on this island."

"Okay. I'll take the one in the village first."

"But don't let the villagers see you," He warned. "You don't know if there's an alternate version of you."

She tossed her head back attractively. "This kind of beauty cannot be replicated."

He stifled a smile and went for the one in the jungle.

…

"I. Hate. Vines." He growled as he slashed his way through the dense foliage. "This is one of those times I miss being in Mobius."

A cross-eyed moose charged across his path, and he brushed a leaf off his dreads in contempt. _This world is bizarre. Even the feral animals are mutated._

He quickly grabbed the emerald shard away from a marmoset in the forest and got out of there as fast as he could, the old monkey screaming insults at him.

He met up with Rouge at the edge of the jungle, and put the two shards with the rest. He just put them in his bag when a brown badger girl and this dimension's Amy walked over, chatting amiably. Her eyes widened what she saw them.

"Knuckles! Umm… What… Happened?" She said, looking at him. She looked… Older, to say the least.

"Rouge, deal with this," He murmured, before disappearing into the bushes.

 **The bat wheeled around a plastered a fake smile on her face. "Hey, Amy. Your name is Amy, right?"**

 **She nodded slowly.**

 **"Who are you? I never saw you around," the badger cuts in, stepping between the two and examining Rouge with a slightly crazy eye. The bat backed up a few steps, putting her hands in front of her.**

 **"I'm Rouge. I'm looking for an emerald shard. It's green, and shaped like a crystal," she said, nodding her head up and down like she was talking to a toddler.**

 **"Why? Is it a bomb? A mind-control device? Are you working for Aliens to take control of us by dazzling us with shiny objects?" The badger screeched, pulling at her ridiculous hair.**

 **Amy put a hand on her shoulder. "Settle down, Sticks." She turned back to Rouge. "Sorry," she apologized. "She's a little excitable. A crystal, you say? I think Tails found one just a while ago."**

 **She grinned. "Can I have it?"**

 **The pink hedgehog frowned. "I think you have to ask Tails."**

 **"Enough!" Sticks said exasperatedly. "We have to find the lingonberry patch!" Amy smiled apologetically at Rouge as Sticks pulled her into the jungle. The badger shot one last look at her, and made a sigh with her fingers meaning,** ** _I'm watching you._**

Knuckles emerged from the brush, shaking leaves from his fur. "Tails has it? This just keeps getting better and better."

Rouge scoffed. "Yeah, right. You just don't want to see yourself."

"Is that so wrong?" He protested. "If he's anything like that Moebius counterpart, we're all doomed."

They had been walking on a footpath, but suddenly Rouge stopped and pushed Knuckles to the ground. He jumped up instantly.

"What was that for?" He yelled, fists at the ready.

"Relax, Knuckie. I'll take care of this." She started to fly off, but his hand clamped down on her wrist and dragged her back down.

"What?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

She tsked. "If you really want to… See for yourself."

He peeked through the bushes, and promptly smacked himself in the forehead.

"I am never teaming up with that guy." He pointed an accusing finger. The alternate version of Knuckles somehow managed to get a bucket stuck on his head and was walking around bumping into things. It looked like someone took an air pump to the guy and wrapped him up in tape in time for Christmas.

"Why do Sonic and Tails get the best alternate reality selves?" He whined, gesturing to a mature Tails, with avian goggles and a tool belt, flying circles in the Tornado and swinging Sonic–with a brown bandana–on some sort of electrical whip.

Rouge cracked up. "Finally! A universe that gets you!"

He all but growled at her and shoved her. "Just go get the emerald shard."

 **She flew out of the bushes and landed next to the motely group. Sonic jumped off the whip-thing and onto Tails' plane's wing, and they landed, all in less than the time it took Rouge to take a step.**

 **"Sonic's the name, and running's my game. What's your name?" He asked happily, extending a gloved hand. His arms were blue, and it was more than a little disconcerting.**

 **"Rouge," She replied, and shook it.**

 **Boom-Knuckles finally managed to get the bucket off, and was now making his way towards her.**

 **"Hey. I'm Knuckles," He said with a click of his tongue and his hand in a gun symbol. He leaned against a lamppost and fell on the ground. Rouge was taken back. Was he** ** _flirting_** **with her?**

 **She must have had on a weirded-out expression, because Sonic came to the rescue.**

 **"Knux, don't hit on every girl you see," He chastised, helping his friend up. He looked up at Rouge. "So, whatcha here for?"**

 **"Amy told me that Tails found a green crystal earlier today," Rouge explained, her voice trailing off as Sonic's face took on a dream-like state.** ** _So in this dimension, Sonic likes Amy. Huh. Didn't see that coming._**

 **He snapped back to reality abruptly, shaking his quills. "Um, yeah. Yeah." He tilted his head towards Tails, who was busy adjusting controls on his plane. One glance ensured that he was using the emerald shard as a power source.**

 **Rouge sauntered over to him and leaned against his plane. He looked up from his work once, briefly, and went back to screwing something in. She opened her mouth to talk, but he went first.**

 **"I heard you. I did find this crystal today, and no, you can't have it," He declared in a long string of syllables, not even looking up.**

 ** _Can't have it, huh? No matter. Everyone has a price._**

 **She dug around in her pockets, and pulled out a gold ring. This time he looked up, and Sonic and Boom-Knuckles crowded around.**

 **"Oooo. It's shiny," the echidna gasped. Rouge resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Knuckles is never going to hear the end of this one.**

 **"I'll trade you this power ring for that em – crystal. Fair deal?"**

 **The young fox took it from her outstretched hand and inspected it, even going so far as to bite it.**

 **"It seems powerful, hence the name. Sure, I guess." He tossed her the emerald shard and snapped the ring into its previous holster, and went straight to work.**

 **"Okay then. Goodbye," Rouge called out as she flew away.**

 **A portal opened in front of her, and she dove headfirst into it without thinking. She came out the other side to a** ** _very_** **angry echidna.**

 **He snatched the shard from her and stuffed it in his bag. "I am never going back there," he grumbled, and muttered something under his breath that wouldn't be appropriate for Cream.**

 **"Why not?" She batted her lashes innocently. "I thought you were dashing."**

If he didn't know better, he'd have sworn she _liked_ seeing him turn red.

 **Haha! A little BOOM! action. That air pump comparison came from fellow writer WaterWaveWolf, soon to be renamed RiderRydell. But seriously. C'est accurate, n'est ce pas?**


End file.
